Japan ski paradise faces strains of global acclaim

At a time when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is talking tough on immigration, upscale Niseko has never been more popular with seasonal workers, investors and skiers from across the globe. The snow "is the best in the world", said Gideon Masters, a 29-year-old Australian tourist. "It's just soft, powder fluff. You can pick it up with your bare hands, it doesn't even feel cold... It's just a shame that it's become so populated," he told AFP at the foot of the slopes, snowboard in hand. Built in the 1960s on the northern island of Hokkaido...